Means for securing name-plates to the radiators of automobiles.



W. C. DURANT. MEANS FOR SECURING NAME PLATES TO THE RADIATOIIS 0F AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. I4. "H.

Patented Dec. 26,1916.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VTIIJLIAI! C. DURANT. OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CHEVROLET MOTOR COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Application filed December 14, 1914. Serial No. 877,034.

7 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Wnaaanr C. Doan s'r, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lm )rovemcnts in Means for Securing Namelates to the Radiators of Automobiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide means for attachin and holding name plates to the radiator phite of an automobile in such a manner as to eliminate the time. trouble and expense now incident thereto when the plate is directly brazed or fastened directly to the radiator plate.

It is well known that when the name plate is directly secured to the radiator plate, there is great trouble in properly finishing and painting the front of the radiator plate after the name plate has been secured thereto. In order to make a perfect job. the radiator plate must be perfectly finished and the name plate left perfectly clean. To accomplish this result, much unnecessary time, labor and expense are consumed.

Another object of my invention is to make a construction in the utilization of which these objects will be avoided,.and at the same time the name plate can be quickly and securely fastened in place. when the painting and finishing operation of the radiator plate has been completed.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the sub-joined specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1, is a front view of the upper portion of a conventional radiator of an automobile, with the name plate attached thereto in its usual position. Fig. 2, is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, showing one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 3. is a front view of the skeleton supporting structure to which the name plate is attached. the name plate being removed and the holding springs or prongs which are secured to the back of the name plate being in section. Fig. 4. is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, the name plate being shown in place. Fig. 5, is a plan view of another form of a skeleton structure to which the name plate is to be attached, the springs or prongs on the back of the name plate being shown in sec tion. Fig. 6, is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Pi 7, the name plate being shown in place. *ig. 7, is a plan view of a skeleton frame showing another form of my invention. Fig. 8, is a sectional view of a construction embodying my invention in connection with which a lamp and transparent or translucent name plate may be utilized in order to make an illuminated sign if desired.

In the drawings, similar reference characters indicate like parts.

10 represents a radiator plate of an automobile to which is secured by brazing, soldering or by any well known means, a skeleton frame 11. Any other similar support mav be used instead of the radiator plate. This frame 11 projects outwardly from the radiator plate and conforms to the shape of the name plate 12 which is to be secured thereto.

In the present instance, the form of the name plate and therefore the form or contour of the skeleton frame to which the name plate is to be secured have the appearance of a cross. 'If the name plate is to be round, the skeleton frame should be round. If the name plate is to elliptical, the skeleton frame should be elliptical and so on.

Referring more particularh to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the sides 11 of the skeleton frame are provided with flanges 13 and 14 projecting in opposite directions as shown. The frame 11 is secured to its supporting plate by brazing or soldering the outwardly projecting flanges 13 to the radiator plate 10. Bridge pieces 15 are secured across the skeleton frame near the front thereof and these are provided with notches 26. Secured to the rear or under side of the name plate 12 near the center thereof by an suitable means. such as brazing, or soldering, are a plurality of spring prongs or arms 30 which are also provided wi h notches 31 so situated as to co pcrate ith the notches 2 in the bri ge. piec s. Vhcn the painting and finishing operation of the. adiator p ate has een com leted to secure the name plate 12 in place. it is moved in thc direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. unt l the notches 26 in the spring prongs or arms which are soc red to the ame plate. fit into the notches 31 in the b idge ieces. which extend across the top of the skeleton frame.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, a

sin le cross bar or brid e 40 is arranged horizontally across the s eleton frame and in this construction, the pair ,of spring prongs or arms 41 and 42 which are similarly secured to-the rear ofthe name plate, are arranged parallel to each other. hese arms; are" rovided with similar notches 43 to those escribed as being present in the construction shown in Fig. 2, and the cross bar. or bridgeis also provided with 006 erating notches '44-. To placethe name p ate in position in this structure, it is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, until the respective notches in the bridge piece andin the spring prongs or arms cooperate to hold the name plate in place.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modified construction for holding the name late in place u on the skeleton frame. To t \iS end, I provide dove-tailed projections upon the name plate which may be integral with it, or secured to it in any suitable way. At each lower corner of the skeleton frame are provided dove-tailed notches and they are so constructed that the dove-tailed rejections will fit nicely into the said ove-tailed notches. The name plate is placed in position and secured to the skeleton frame by placing the projections 50 on the name plate in fuxtaposltion'to the notches 51 in the ske eton frame and movinglthe name plate in the direction shown by t e arrow in Fig. 7. The -name plate isthus held in place upon the skeleton structure.

In 8 is shown a construction by means of whi'ct the name plate may be made of transparent or translucent material and may be illuminated by' means of a hunp L mounted inside the skeleton frame, preferably of the electric incandescent type, as'shown. In this construction, a frame is, secured in place in a mannersimilar to that shown in igs. 3 and 5., Holding flanges 61 are arranged around: its edge to hold the transparent plate 62in place upon which the name is painted orotherwise attached. Y

As indicated in Fig. 5, one edge of the notches either in the spring prongs or bridge may be beveled as at 19 so that in case it is desired to remove the plate from its latched position, it may be accomplished by striking the plate a sharp blow on its edge, thereby forcmgthc spring arms to move inward over the beveled portion 19 upon the prongs or cross bar.

. The skeleton structure is preferably made of any suitable metal.

While I have shown certain features of my invention in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that said drawings are merely illustrative and that I am not confined to what is there shown and herein described in connection therewith except as may be specifically set forth in the claims.

aving now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent, is

1. In combination a support, a skeleton frame provided with a base and a front face, said frame being fixedly secured at its base to the support, a plate, means on the skeleton frame and means on the plate to cooperatively engage with said first mentioned means, to hold the said plate to the front face of the skeleton frame.

3. The combination of a support with a frame secured thereto, provided with a crosspiece or bridge, a )late the outer edge of which is substantiali contour of the outer edge of the frame, said plate having a spring prong or arm secured to its inner side arranged to 006 erate with the cross-piece or bridge of the rame.

3. The combination of a support with a skeleton frame fixedly secured thereto rovi'ded with a cross piece or bridge, a p ate having a spring rong or arm secured to its inner side, the said cross piece or bridge and cooperative arm provided with cooperating notches.

4-. The combination of a support with a skeleton frame fixedly secured thereto rovidcd with a cross piece or bridge, a p ate having a spring prong or arm secured to its innerside, said cross piece or bridge and c0- operative arm provided with cooperating notches, a side of the notch on the spring prong or arm being beveled.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at the borough of Manhattan, city and State of New York, this 12th day of December, 1914.

WILLIAM C. DURANT. In presence of W. C. SI-Lns, JOHN J. RANAGAN.

Copies of this mm may be obtained for the cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of retents,

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